I'm sitting here watching The Next Food Network Star, and despite the fact that it should be either Hans or Susannah winning this shindig, I have to say that it is striking how much nicer these people are than your average reality/competition show star. I've been catching bits and parts of StripSearch, where studly boys duke it out to be part of the next Vegas male-stripper revue, and almost none of them seem in any way like someone you might want to meet, and they're already scheming and whining. These food people have been nothing but nice, both in general and to each other, even in the middle of what is clearly a giant stressfest. I hope that more than one of them ends up with a cooking show within the next year. Add this to the fact that food bloggers seem to be across the board warm and friendly folks, and you have to wonder -- are cooks just better people?
(ps -- the eventual winner of the contest was consistently the most annoying through the entire contest, but yet their pilot was completely great and I would totally watch their show. What did the judges see that the program editors didn't show us?)
Posted by foodnerd at June 26, 2005 10:30 PMI totally agree- it should have been Hans or Susannah! But yeah, I'll probably watch Dan and Steve anyway
Posted by: tanvi at June 27, 2005 12:30 AMI think cooks are better people, for three primary reasons:
1 - We* are sensuous, not neglecting...
2 - The un-PC sense of taste, about which much of society is in denial (or guilt). We enjoy food because it tastes good, despite (or because of) the fat, salt, sugar, etc., which is so frowned upon. Meaning we're also (minor) rebels, which is a Good Thing. We're also not dumb enough to believe that it's enough that something is good for us -- it ought to taste good too.
3 - We are passionate about matters of taste, and we know that matters of taste are opinions (by definition), so we don't get in stupid arguments or look down upon people about things that are just opinions. If someone is unfortunate enough to, say, prefer white chocolate over dark,** we don't argue with them that they ought to prefer dark, because that's just stupid. They like what they like.
Gross generalizations, natch, but I believe them.
* I'm including myself in this august group, which is a stretch indeed, but what the fug.
** Their misfortune is my opinion, of course.